Letters to the Editor: Thursday, April 4, 2013

Folks on aid can’t buy insurance, pay a fine… Do things other than shift city recreation

Folks on aid can’t buy insurance, pay a fineTo the editor,

I am not too bright, but I did manage to pass eighth-grade, country, one-room schoolhouse economics.

I have a question for President Obama. If I’m on food stamps and rental assistance, how do I either buy health insurance or pay a fine?

Oh, here’s an idea I’m surprised Congress hasn’t thought of this. Why not pass a “No Insurance Fine Assistance Program”? If you don’t have the money to pay the fine, Congress will give you the money.

Gosh, I must be a genius. Maybe I should run for Congress. If you agree, please send donations now.

I have another question for the president, but I’ll save that for later.

John AbrahamAdrian

Do things other than shift city recreationTo the editor,

It really does not surprise me that the city would want to dump the recreation department. After all, it’s the one department that affords benefits to more of the citizens of the community than any other single department in the city. I am not talking utilities or anything else, just recreation.

Numerous kids and adults alike receive more benefits through ballparks, swimming and so many other activities that it would be difficult to mention them all.

A few years ago the YMCA was broke and putting on drives to raise cash in order to keep the doors open. How are they going to keep pace financially with all the added activities?

I feel this entire commission would rather put more bucks into the downtown area than invest in the youth of the town.

There didn’t seem to be a huge problem when they invested so much into the oversized police department, or the library, or the city hall, or the commission meeting room. What exactly have they done for the average “Joe Blow” citizen. No free garbage pickup, marginal streets, doing away with recreation, but they continue to keep downtown going.

Maybe they need to look at people who aren’t needed, like a full-time city attorney and her staff, maybe a couple of the police officers, maybe a clerical person in different departments. Maybe they need a non-paid commission, similar to the school board.

There are certainly going to be additional resources from the oil, the selling of land, and one day taxes will go up and then there will be plenty of money to pour into downtown again, and the hell with everyone else.